How well are our healthcare practitioners treating their patients? NCBI Research indicates that 87% of doctors consider themselves “great” at listening to their patients. However, some studies disagree with this claim. It’s estimated that patients speak for eleven seconds before the healthcare worker interrupts them. A health worker’s tendency to talk rather than listen intently can damage patient outcomes.
On the other hand, we have almost two-thirds of patients trusting their doctors/nurses to make the right decision for their benefit. That’s why it’s crucial to improve the patient-practitioner relationship as it leads to satisfactory patient outcomes.
We will discuss some methods to bolster this connection.
Improving the patient-provider relationship
When patients and healthcare workers don’t communicate effectively, health outcomes decline drastically. A healthy patient-practitioner relationship has become a must-have for better medical services amid the coronavirus pandemic. Experts have termed the patient-provider rapport as the cornerstone of patient engagement as well. It enables doctors/nurses to empower patients by permitting their contributions to the decision-making process. When patients converse with healthcare providers, it helps them meet crucial clinical needs. So, what are some effective strategies for patients and doctors to build mutual rapport? Let’s talk here about some ways to connect these two entities effectively:
Leveraging healthcare technologies
Our primary suggestion involves leveraging healthcare technologies such as Telehealth to ensure smooth communication with your patients. Nowadays, it’s difficult for most people to set aside time for visiting doctors, leading them to delay or even cancel appointments. Likewise, some patients avoid openly discussing their healthcare issues face-to-face in a physical setting. Telehealth helps overcome all of these issues by providing ease of access. Apart from Telehealth, utilizing various other healthcare technological resources and tools strengthens patients’ trust in your service quality.
For this purpose, many healthcare organizations are urging their workforce to opt for a masters healthcare informatics degree to become well-versed in healthcare technologies. This degree allows healthcare workers to leverage various technologies to improve their work alongside providing patients convenience and accessibility. Besides, since technology is rapidly taking over the healthcare industry, earning this degree will prove worthwhile.
Open with small talk
Let’s assume that you’re spending 15-20 minutes with patients. So, should you interact with patients by directly asking about their medical conditions? No, spend at least sixty seconds discussing random non-medical issues with patients. Open with questions regarding their general health. “How was the day?” “What are your hobbies?” “Did you catch the game last night?” These one-liners can make the patient more confident and talkative, thereby reducing hesitations.
Improve your body language
Your body language gestures how much you’re interested in listening to the patient. They may feel unwelcome by your distant demeanor and haphazard dealing. So, make sure you’re not making any unconscious gesticulation indicating your disinterest in your patients. A positive body language helps improve the patient-provider relationship. Now, how can you bolster your body language? Here are some methods that can help you demonstrate how attentive you are before the hesitant patient:
- Make eye contact with the patient.
- Smile to have a pleasant conversation.
- Sit beside the patient and nod while listening.
- Lean forward while standing, and don’t cross your arms.
- Don’t look anywhere when you’re speaking with the patient.
Mirror their movements
You can build a strong rapport with patients by imitating their actions and mirroring what they do. It can make you appear as a friendly presence in the vicinity, thereby boosting the patient-practitioner relationship. Mirroring enables you to understand the patient’s concerns better since you now have become synchronized with them. This practice establishes the physician as a likable person who will actively listen to the patient. So, mimic the patient’s movements to earn their trust in the hospital.
Respect cultural disparities
Patients admire healthcare workers who respect their culture and understand the importance of native traditions. Don’t forget that some cultures have boundaries that the doctor shouldn’t cross. Specific actions are permissible in one culture whereas forbidden in others. So, avoid offending patients by crossing these boundaries. Also, inform yourself about the customs of your patients by researching their backgrounds. Recognizing these cultural disparities can strengthen the patient-provider rapport.
Educate them properly
A healthcare practitioner’s responsibilities also include educating the patient and informing them about essential matters regarding their health. It doesn’t mean you must personally provide them with the required information. Guide them to relevant experts who can help enhance their knowledge on some crucial aspects of their well-being. For instance, you can refer a diabetes patient to a certified diabetes educator.
Remember to follow up
Healthcare workers shouldn’t forget about their patients. It’s best to continue taking proper follow-ups after interacting with them for the first time. It’s both thoughtful and necessary to ensure healthy patient outcomes. Especially when a patient’s undergone surgery, a doctor following up with them will help them recover with peace of mind. It also allows healthcare workers to treat the side effects of a medical procedure. This practice can help healthcare practitioners create a strong rapport with people even after providing treatments.
Conclusion
Research indicates that the doctor-patient rapport strongly impacts health outcomes in medical settings. However, healthcare workers can’t boost their relationship with patients simply by spending more time with them. Here’s what we suggest. A healthcare practitioner must listen to patients intently and discover which services they’re requesting. They must also connect with the patient’s narrative, look at emotional triggers, and show empathy. Recognize cultural disparities and don’t seem to be in a hurry in front of an ailing patient.
